Everybody is being so helpful, but I notice a theme in the pm's...I'm sure that every single one of us has a sob story, mine is the move to Chicago, my fruitless search for a job for three months, six kids and no money for Christmas much less grocery shopping right now. I know for a fact that my grandpa would be happy that I can use the reloading stuff to get through this rough patch, because I am desperate. He also left me some other things that I will treasure for the rest of my life, he would probably be very very upset with me if I didn't look to sell something I may not every use for the next twenty years to feed my family right now. Seriously, I need to sell this as soon as I can but in honor of my Grandpa I don't want to part it out, I want it to be the greatest Christmas present ever for someone who will enjoy it as much as he did. Ok, sorry but I don't want any more guilt trips about selling grandpa's stuff, I have to do what I have to do and I know he agrees with me.

Sell it too soon and for too little and it would be like using Grandfather's silver dime collection in a vending machine.

If you can't find out what's in the collection then Grandfather's treasure won't take you as far as you may need to go.

It appears to me that this equipment was used by a competitive rifle shooter to make match ammo. Really need another competetive rifle shooter to help sort it for true value. Perhaps attending a local rifle match and finding someone face-to-face???

Otherwise it turns into a grab-bag deal. From what others have said and what I can see in the picture $2k might be a good deal (even without powder or primers because of shipping issues for them). But with the recent primer shortage- the primers could be worth quite a bit all on their own! (however many there may be - and they might be very good primers too!)

This is the third time that someone has mentioned it would be worth upwards of $2000, I really had no idea it could be worth that much,which is why I was looking for input. But I guess it is only worth that much when someone is willing to pay that much Thank you for the thoughts to consider.

I can help identify the tools. I had my eye on the Huntington portable press. It's the silver and black tool standing upright mounted to a small bracket near the RCBS Rockchucker and looks like it has wings on either side that move up and down. RCBS no longer makes that particular hand press. If you are interested just let me know.

Cycle,
I wrote you a PM and I think you are doing good. I believe 90% of these guys here would be honest with you and not try to rip you off. I really like the statement you made about Grandpa would want you to do what is right and what will help the family.

But the input about the silver dime collection and the vending machine was very good. Hold out just a little longer, see what the stuff is worth and, I know you do not really want to, but sell it for the best price, piece by piece if need be.

Best of luck to you.

Uncle Buck

__________________
Inside Every Bright Idea Is The 50% Probability Of A Disaster Waiting To Happen.

Used Rockchuckers go for around $100 on eBay, some a bit more, some a bit less. The Huntington press hasn't been manufactured for quite a few years now and doesn't come up on eBay very often but when they do they sell for between $40 and $55 depending on whether or not they have all the original pieces and the original box and instructions.

You also have an RCBS Ammomaster, dark green with 3 vertical black posts that holds the die platform. They usually sell used on eBay for around $170 - 190$, again, original box and instructions, etc.

The ligher green press is a Redding Boss press. They typically go for a bit more money than the Rockchucker press. There is the Boss, the Big Boss, and the Big Boss II. The Big Boss presses have a ball at the end of the handle, not a bicycle grip. I can't make it out clearly but I think yours is the bicycle type grip, not the ball.

You can search for reloading presses on eBay and see for yourself how much they sell for.

The Huntington is the small silver colored press with the black linkage bars standing upright between the Ammomaster, the Boss, and the Rockchucker.

FYI, the powder measure you have in the background is probably worth a hefty lot... http://www.harrellsprec.com/
These are a bench resters dream.

Please be aware that primers and powders are going to be difficult, if not impossible to ship as a regular Joe.
I'm in Rockford and might be down around Chicago Heights next week.
If you have a list of powder and primers that might be on hand I may be interested.

Otherwise, take some time, do a little reasearch or list the contents here and let the PMs flow in with some guidance. Make a list and talk with some shooting range/club administration in the area about posting the listing.
Find out where he used to frequent, club memberships, etc. There will be plenty of interest and help around. Don't be in a hurry.

I agree with StumpShooter - sell the powders and primers (if you have any, can't be seen in the pictures) now, locally as a FTF (face-to-face) transaction as they cannot be shipped anyway. If the powder is unopened, someone will buy it for at least $15-20 per pound. Primers will bring at least $25 per 1,000 box. Selling these two groups of items could provide some immediate Christmas cash, while allowing you time to regroup and get a much more fair value for the remaining hardware items (presses, dies, accessories, bullets, etc) that can be shipped.

In your state, I would try to find a local reloading expert who could identify the equipment, make sure all the parts that belong together, get together. Then he would sell all the stuff for a 20% cut (or whatever you two negotiate as fair). Put a time limit on selling the stuff. If you want top dollar it will take longer. Give it 2 to 6 months.

Alternatively, you could just have someone (qualified) go through it all and assemble it for sale with labels of what it is, condition and a price. Once everything is labelled (e.g. RCBS Rockchucker, 90% condition, $65). You might pay him $100 or $200 to take a weekend and do all that. With good labelling, you you could cross check a few items on a gun gear auction or sales site.

Others have suggested finding a gun range. I would do that. Talk to the rangemaster and ask for a reference of someone who reloads and is trustworthy. Ask if anyone knows of a place where used equipment in pristine condition could be sold.

This is all off-the-cuff guesses from a guy who has no experience appraising values, so take that into account.

You may have two grand worth of equipment there if sold wisely. Three grand if all new pricing. And that does not count primers, brass (empty cartridge cases) and bullets. And everything I see looks in brand-new condition. Well cared for, indeed. Here are my "calculations".

40 The bright blue thing in the back is a scale- $40
75 the green plastic boxes are $25 for the 3-piece sets 3 each
30 the green plastic boxes are $10. 3 each
25 the small flat green box appears to be shell holders. $25
30 The yellow box - screwdriver tips $30
40 the books are $10 each (about 1/3 of their new price, depending on age)
80 all the white pieces of cloth (cleaning patches), $3-$5 per baggie
180 the green cast metal things are presses, and I count 4 at $45 each
45 the gray press standing up in near the presses is a "W" press, also about $45
25 The dark blue thing is a vibratory tumbler $25
the rest of the stuff (most of which I cannot identify from the photo, or maybe even if I saw it in person is probably worth at least half that much more (wild guess)
$595 + 305 $900

Open powder $5 a pound for anyone willing to buy it (unlikely unless desperate)
Factory sealed powder $10 a pound (20 to 30 retail and of guaranteed provenance) Gunpowder has a lot of nitrates, which does make for green plants. Do water them and don't put it on too heavy. Overfertilizing with any plant food or fertilizer will "burn" the plants by boosting their growth rate too high.

Primers, new are $3.00 to $5.00 per hundred. Really good match grade primers maybe $6 per hundred. They are hard to find in some areas, so bargain hard and get at least $2.50 to $4 per hundred. It makes little difference if they are Rifle, Pistol, Magnum or Standard.

Craigs List is anti-firearms. Read their rules. They don't even allow telescopic sights. Doubtful if they would take a favorable view of loading gear.

The empty brass cartridge casings will very widely in value. Read the headstamps to see what chambering they are and the manufacturer, then log on to a mail-order house (Like Cabela's or CheaperThanDirt and price their empty brass. Figure half price to one-third price if the brass has been fired. If it has never been fired, half to three-quarters of new price. Pistol cartridges go for 20 cents each to a couple of bucks depending on caliber and rifle cartridges, I don't know.

WOW !! I will have to be the first to ask, seeing nobody else has. What happened to the guns he used this stuff for reloading? -- They probably are worth another small fortune!

Nobody noticed the NECO Concentricity Gauge or the Wilson/Sinclair Trimmer in the upper left hand corner!

I also like the Redding Competition Shell Holders, the Redding Titanium & Steel Bushing for the Redding Competition Rifle Dies as well.

I agree with the others, sell the items that are NOT "Gun Powder" or "Primers" on eBay with lots of good quality pictures INDIVIDUALLY and this will be the best Christmas for the family -- Sorry about the loss of your Grand-Father -- He surely lived a good and healthy life!!

IF I didn't live in Texas, I would give you $2500+ for it or more possibly. You really need to get a complete list of everything!!!

"I would much rather sell the entire lot all together, I think it would be very difficult for me to sell piecemeal since I don't know what most of it is. "

Understandable but your market is experieced reloaders, not newbies. But new guys tend to want new stuff if for no other reason than they want some assurance they are getting usable stuff and they have no experiece to evaluate used equipment. On the other hand, those of us with the experiece to know already have a lot of stuff, we would only be interested in a a few new other items or to up-grade a few pieces of what we already have. Your grandpa is likely to have a large number of items in that stack that others would never need at all. All that makes selling it as a package much less attractive than it may appear.

Huntington's is the only place I've ever seen that press for sale, for $110. One of them is on my "someday" list.

__________________
"As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. "

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